"A really really positive display," is how Waterford FC manager Keith Long described his team's 2-all draw with Longford at the RSC on Friday night.
For the third game in a row, the sides shared the spoils with the goal tally going up each time they have faced off this year (0-0, 1-1 & 2-2).
Bogey Team?
The home side kicked off in the best possible manner with Roland Idowu finding the back of the net after just six minutes. It wasn't long however before Longford made it a level game through Gary Armstrong on 18 minutes.
Ronan Coughlan maintained his place at the top of the First Division scoring table when he struck home to wrestle back the lead just two minutes later.
The sides headed for the changing rooms with the Blues holding that 2-1 lead.
Long commented that they had started the game well, passing the ball sharply and playing with real intensity, but he noted that "when you're attacking - this is what we have to reinforce with the players - the opposition are dangerous when you are on the attack. So you have to attack with defensive organisation and discipline to make sure you have that overload from a defensive point of view, that you don't get done on the counterattack."
"We got caught"
While they had been able to maintain that defensive effort for the most part, it didn't last.
"We got caught," Long remarked on penalty awarded for Giles Philips tackle on Jordan Adeyemo who had broken through the Blues' defence. Philips was sent to the strands for his challenge, letting the home team play the remainder with ten men.
"We jump a little too late to get pressure on the ball," Long said. "It vacates the space, enabling Longford to play through the centre-backs and Giles is on the cover. He's doing his very best to get around. I think it's a penalty and by the letter of the law it is a red card, unfortunately."
The Blues have now conceded in their last four consecutive games. They had maintained a six-game run with clean sheets prior to that slump.
Battling adversity
Having lost Philips to the red card, while also conceding to go level with the visitors once again, the manager was satisfied with his player's efforts in staying in the game. "Some of the football that we played was absolutely sublime," Long noted.
"The bravery that the boys showed in terms of getting on the ball and taking that responsibility, that shows growth to me from where we were when I came in. That shows that we have got some good players and good characters in the room that they want to take that responsibility. They took the game by the scruff of the neck. We played Longford off the park, let's be honest."
The brand on offer
For the most part, results have been satisfactory, good or even impressive so far under Long. The gap to the top of the table aside, their has been a clear and traceable shift in the teams style of play in recent months as the new management team got bedded in.
Long was happy to praise his team in the post-game chat on Friday, telling WLR Sport that they are, "a really exciting team to watch."
"There is excitement, there's goals," he added. "The team are fun to watch, they're good to watch, they're nice to watch....there's growth in the group. You can see it. New players coming in to strengthen the squad, hopefully, the dynamic of the group is changing. The profile is changing (slightly) in terms of the age of the players. I looked at the team today, looked at their attitude in the second half and their desire to try and win the game when down to ten men and that relentless approach and being brave and taking responsibility are huge markers for me in terms of the growth of this team."
Up next...
The Blues hit the road this weekend when they get on the bus for Limerick.
Treaty United have found an improved run of form in recent weeks following a disastrous May and June. Four losses and one draw in five games has been followed up with two wins and draw in their last three and they now find themselves sixth in the table with one win keeping them away from a place in the playoff spots.
"Let's see what we can do down in Treaty if we can put in that kind of a display again. If we can play like that every week then we've got a great chance. Thats the level of performance we will need in any sort of promotion/relegation scenario that might face us at the end of the season. You have to play at that high level and they've stepped up tonight. Disappointed with the result, of course, dropped points here at home and thats not great, but at the same time, performance was really really good."
